Systems and methods for awarding affinity points based upon remote control usage

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for providing and promoting television programming, advertisements, and other content to selected viewers. A display is provided on a remote control device, prompts are provided on the display, and viewer responses to those prompts are monitored, stored in memory, and thereafter processed to reward viewers for responding properly to the prompts. Various methods for promoting such programs are also described.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/984,954, filed Nov. 8,2004, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of copendingapplication Ser. No. 09/080,315, filed on May 15, 1998, which is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/999,716, filed on Oct.6, 1997, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/823,507filed on Mar. 24, 1997. The disclosures of each of the above-listedapplications are incorporated fully herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to television systems and theInternet and, more particularly, to systems and methods for effectivelypromoting television programming, for developing viewership loyaltywithin selected demographic groups, and for selectively deliveringadvertising, promotional, and other content to television viewersdesiring such content.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Recently, substantial attention has been directed to the field ofdigital cable television systems, the Internet, and to methods ofpromoting and utilizing various types of advertising and programmingcontent provided on such systems.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,008, issued to Goldhaber et al. on Dec.29, 1998, describes an approach for distributing advertising and otherinformation over a computer network, such as the Internet. TheGoldhaber, et al. '008 patent defines “attention brokerage” as thebusiness of buying and selling the “attention” of consumers, and statesthat attention brokerage can be used to provide direct, immediatepayment to a consumer for paying attention to an advertisement or otherinformation. The patent further states that the compensation may be useddirectly or indirectly to compensate the owners of content or may beused for other purposes, and that a link between an advertisement and aselected viewer group may be provided by reference to a database ofdigitally-stored demographic profiles of potential users. The Goldhaber,et al. '008 patent also states that certain advertisements may be viewedas “negatively priced” information because consumers are paid for theirattention to the information, and that a special icon or other symboldisplayed on a computer screen may represent compensation and allowusers to choose whether they will view an ad or other information andreceive the associated compensation.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,210, issued to Goldhaber, et al. on Aug. 11, 1998,also is directed to various categories of attention brokerage using theinternet.

Like the Goldhaber, et al. patents, U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,894, issued toPetrecca, et al. on Jul. 14, 1998, describes various systems and methodsfor advertising on personal computers. The described system allows auser to choose to activate an advertising system in return for receivingsome type of compensation.

Turning now more toward the realm of television advertising, U.S. Pat.No. 5,532,732, issued to Yuen, et al. on Jul. 2, 1996, describes anapparatus and method for using compressed codes to monitor televisionprogram viewing. The patent describes how an audience monitoring systemmay determine whether a television is turned on, and how the system maymonitor channel selections and the times at which the selections weremade. Data descriptive of the channel selections and the times of thoseselections is then downloaded, for example over a telephone line, to acentral database.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,322, issued to Kelly et al. on May 25, 1999,describes a television event marking system. The described system storesone or more broadcast event-identifiers within an activity table and,thereafter, processes the stored event-identifier data with a databaseof TV schedules, events, and company information to identify one or moreInternet websites that may be of interest to a viewer. Hotlinks to thosewebsite addresses are then provided to the viewer via the system or apersonal computer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,681, issued to Jones on Mar. 19, 1996, describes anapparatus and method for generating product coupons in response totelevised offers. As described in the Jones '681 patent, couponinformation is stored in a memory at a cable television station, and thecable television station transmits multiple video signals, eachrepresenting a different source of television programming, over multipletelevision channels on a cable network. A video signal may, at times,such as during a product advertisement or other offer, include anembedded coupon identifier. A coupon subsystem at the cable televisionstation monitors each video signal and retrieves token information froma database when it detects a corresponding embedded token identifier.The coupon information is transmitted over a data channel on the cablenetwork, and a subscriber unit at the television viewer's site receivesthe data channel and extracts the coupon information. The televisionprogramming audibly or visually alerts the viewer that the coupon may begenerated, and if the viewer actuates an input device, such as a buttonon a television remote control unit, a printer generates a couponbearing the coupon information.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,181, issued to Holman on Feb. 15, 1994, describes anelectronic coupon generating system. Within the system, a decoderincludes a display driver for displaying indicia on a television monitorscreen responsive to coupon-related data that is encoded in a televisionsignal transmission. Upon observing the indicia on the televisionmonitor screen, the user can manually and selectively extractcoupon-related data from the television signal transmission. Theextracted coupon-related data may be stored on a recording medium suchas a magnetically striped card or, alternatively, may be used togenerate a coupon at the location of the television viewer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,752, issued to Von Kohorn on Jul. 7, 1992, isdirected to systems and methods for generating coupons or tokens withinthe home of a television viewer. The described system includesbroadcastings at a central location for transmitting electronic programsignals that have product information and token redemption informationembedded therein. Token generating units are provided at various memberlocations and provide users with the ability to generate coupons ortokens at those locations.

While the foregoing patents describe numerous methodologies forproviding advertising and/or coupon information to selected individualsor demographic groups via a cable television network or the Internet,the described systems suffer from several disadvantages. First, many ofthe systems require that current programming content provided to aviewer on a television screen or computer monitor be interrupted whileadvertising or other promotional content is provided on the screen ormonitor. This, tends to irritate television viewers and computer usersand, therefore, reduces the effectiveness of any advertising orpromotional content that has been provided. Similarly, the systemsdescribed above do not allow for advertising or promotional content tobe selectively delivered to a viewer in a manner that is responsive inreal time to viewer channel or content selections. Nor do the systemsdescribed above allow for the effective promotion of televisionviewership affinity awards programs or “watch-and-win” programs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one particularly innovative aspect, the present invention is directedto improved systems and methods for providing advertising andpromotional content to television viewers and, in particular, to varioussystems and methods for implementing simultaneously within a cablesystem or other broadcast network a plurality of affinity awardsprograms or watch-and-win programs, each associated with a particulartelevision channel, program, or timeslot.

For example, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,a display is provided on a remote control device, and advertising andpromotional content is selectively provided on the display based, atleast in part, upon a current channel or television program that a userof the remote control device has selected and is viewing. Thus, it ispossible in accordance with the present invention to selectively provideadvertising and promotional content to a television viewer in real timeand in response to channel selections that the user has made. Thisallows for “affinity awards” programs to be associated with a specifictelevision channel, program, or timeslot within a twenty-four (24) ourperiod, and allows for multiple affinity awards programs to be run onthe remote control device at any given time. Such programs may take manyforms, but a “watch and win” format is presently preferred. In such aformat, a viewer will be rewarded for interacting with the remotecontrol device in a predetermined manner. For example, following theprovision of a prompt on the display of the remote control device,inputs to the remote control device may be monitored, and datacorresponding to those inputs and associated times of entry may bestored within a memory for contemporaneous or later processing by acontent provider, such that the user of the remote control device may berewarded for selecting a channel at a specific time or within a selectedperiod of time, or alternatively, may be rewarded for not changing achannel within the selected period.

In alternative embodiments, questions about current programming oradvertisements may be provided on the screen of the remote controldevice, and a viewer may be rewarded for providing proper responses tothe questions. The viewer, if he or she so desires, also may be providedvia the screen on the remote control device with additional informationabout television advertisements or other content. Or, the viewer may“bookmark” an advertisement and thereby provide an indication to acontent provider that the viewer would be interested in receivingadditional information about a product contained, for example, in anadvertisement or, alternatively, would be interested in receiving asample of such a product.

In another innovative aspect, the present invention is directed tovarious systems and methods for promoting affinity awards programs usinga remote control unit or an associated program guide. In one presentlypreferred form, a program guide is provided on a display device, andvisual indicators are provided within the program guide to identifythose television channels, programs, networks, or timeslots that areaffiliated with a selected affinity awards program or watch-and-wingame. The display device preferably is provided on a remote controldevice, but also may comprise a television set or monitor that isassociated with the remote control device.

In alternative embodiments, the visual indicators may be includedwithin, for example, banners incorporated in program marquees. Marqueesare provided on screens, for example, when digital cable systems effecta channel change. As the content for the newly selected channel isdecompressed, a marquee indicating the channel selected, associatednetwork, and currently running program is generally provided on thetelevision screen. In accordance with the present invention, an affinityawards or watch-and-win banner may be provided within a marquee providedon a television screen or, more preferably, on the display of a remotecontrol device. In alternative embodiments, a tone or other audio orvisual indicator may accompany the affinity awards or watch-and-winbanner within a marquee.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom consideration of the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a remote control device in accordance witha preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a basic programming sequence usedwithin an affinity awards program in accordance with a preferred form ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a screen of a program guide including anindicator denoting an affiliation of a program with an affinity awardsprogram or watch-and-win program in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a marquee that may be provided on a displayof a remote control device or associated television set in accordancewith the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a remotecontrol device 12 in accordance with a preferred form of the presentinvention. The structure and operation of the remote control device 12is described in detail in copending application Ser. No. 09/080,315,entitled “Program Guide on a Remote Control Display,” which isincorporated fully herein by reference.

Turning now also to FIG. 2, an affinity awards or watch-and-win programin accordance with the present invention may be implemented using theremote control device 12 shown in FIG. 1. To implement such a program, atelevision viewing guide, associated channel map, and one or morepromotional or advertising content data files are downloaded to a memory(not shown) provided within the remote control device 12 (step 110). Theremote control device will then generally remain dormant (e.g., in asleep state) until a television viewer picks up the remote controldevice 12 and enters via a key pad 15 an instruction causing the remotecontrol device 12 to wake up and turn “on” an associated television set(not shown) and, for example, an associated cable television orsatellite television tuner or descrambler box (also not shown). Upondetecting that the television set and cable or satellite TV box havebeen turned “on” (step 112), the remote control device 12 will determinethe current channel that is being watched by the viewer (step 114). Thismay be done, for example, by incorporating a channel selectioninstruction within the cable box turn “on” procedure or, alternatively,by retrieving from memory data indicating the last channel that wasselected before the cable box (not shown) and television set (not shown)were turned “off.” Once the current channel has been determined, datafrom the channel map within the program guide may be used to select anadvertisement, watch-and-win prompt, or other content for depiction onthe display 14 of the remote control device 12 (step 116), and theadvertisement, prompt, or other content may be depicted on the display14 (step 118).

In the event that a prompt is provided on the display 14, the remotecontrol device 12 then will monitor user inputs entered via the key pad15 to determine whether the viewer follows the instructions provided inthe prompt (step 120). The viewer may be prompted, for example, toselect a channel at a predetermined time, or within a predeterminedperiod of time, or alternatively, may be prompted to remain on thecurrent channel (i.e., do nothing) for a predetermined period of time.To determine whether the viewer has followed the instructions providedin the prompt, the remote control device 12 will monitor and store anyentries made by the viewer along with data corresponding to the timesthat the entries were made. The viewer response data then may bedownloaded via the cable system, or another network, to a centraldatabase (step 122). The data stored in the database may then beprocessed, and the viewer's channel selection or other activity, orinactivity, may be verified (step 124). Finally, if the prompt wasrelated to an affinity awards program or to a watch-and-win game, theviewer's account for that program or game may be credited in a propermanner, for example, by awarding points to the account. (step 126).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology describedabove requires the following basic steps: using a screen on a remotecontrol device, prompting a viewer to take an action (or to refrain fromtaking an action); verifying that the action has been taken; andproviding the viewer with a reward for taking the action. Those skilledin the art will further appreciate that numerous variations of thisinnovative methodology may be implemented using a remote control deviceof the type described herein. For example, in alternative forms, aviewer may be prompted to answer one or more questions about a selectedtelevision program, advertisement, or other content, that is providedeither on the display 14 of the remote control device 12 or on anassociated television set (not shown), and the user may be rewarded forproviding the response. The response may take the form of an evaluationor rating of the program, advertisement, or content that has beenprovided to the viewer, or the response might require the use, analysis,or memory of information provided in the program, advertisement, orother content. As an example, the viewer may be prompted to enter anumeric value corresponding to a level of satisfaction with a currenttelevision program or advertisement, or the user may be prompted to casta vote for or against legislative measure discussed on the news. Thus,the systems and methods of the present invention allow for broadcasters,advertisers, and the like to obtain tremendous amounts of feedback fromthe viewing public without interrupting current programming, and furtherallow for advertisements to be tailored to specific groups of viewersbased upon numerous variables including, for example, currently playingprograms or advertisements, various types of demographic data, andresponses to prior prompts or participation in priorwatch-and-win-games.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in another innovativeaspect, the present invention allows for multiple affinity awardsprograms, watch-and-win programs, or other advertising or promotionalprograms to be run on the remote control device 12 at any given time.This capability is enabled by providing a clock and a program guidememory storage facility within each remote control device 12. Moreover,the use of a clock and stored program guide allows for various affinityawards and watch-and-win programs, or other content, to be associatedwith a particular channel, network, or timeslot, and therefore, allowsfor different programs, etc., to be associated with different channelsand/or timeslots. This will allow for watch-and-win programs associatedwith different channels and common timeslots to compete with oneanother, because the content to be provided on the display of the remotecontrol device may be selected based, in part, upon the channelcurrently selected and the current time of day.

In other innovative embodiments, a television viewer may “bookmark” atelevision program, advertisement, or other content that is provided onthe screen 14 of the remote control device 12 or, alternatively, on thescreen of an associated television set. To bookmark an advertisement,the viewer might depress the “Info” key or a designated “bookmark” keyprovided on the remote control device 14 and, thereby, cause to bestored within the memory (not shown) of the remote control device 12 anindication that the viewer would be interested in receiving additionalinformation about a product or service shown in an advertisement or,alternatively, that the viewer would be interested in receiving a sampleof the product described or a coupon relating to the product described.The stored data may then be downloaded to a central database (not shown)in, for example, the form of a recorded viewing log, and the downloadedinformation may be processed to ensure that the viewer is provided withthe requested information, samples, or product.

Alternatively, a “bookmarking” feature in accordance with the presentinvention may provide a user with additional information about anadvertisement or program in real time. For example, where anadvertisement is provided on the screen 14 of the remote control device12, the advertisement may comprise several portions that are storedwithin the memory of the remote control device 12 and may be selectivelyaccessed depending upon the interest of the viewer. An interested viewercould, therefore, “drill down” through a series of advertisements at hisor her discretion depending upon the content provided. Alternatively,the remote control unit 12 could be configured to upload additionaladvertising information from an associated tap antenna (not shown),cable television box, or serial link to a personal computer ortelephone, upon the entry of such a request by the television viewer.

Turning now also to FIG. 3, in another innovative aspect, the presentinvention is directed to various methods for promoting viewer affinityawards and watch-and-win programs. In such embodiments, an icon, symbol,or other indicator 200 may be provided within a screen of a programguide 210 adjacent television program listings, channels, or networkcall letters to designate that an affinity awards program orwatch-and-win program is associated with a particular television show,timeslot or network. An exemplary program guide screen 210 incorporatinga watch-and-win indicator 200 is shown in FIG. 3. In one particularlyinnovative aspect, an award indicator 200 provided within a guide 210provided on the display 14 of the remote control device 12 may beassociated with an embedded or underlying program description downloadedto the remote control device 12, such that the viewer may obtainadditional information about the program via the display 14.

Similarly, in alternative embodiments shown, for example, in FIG. 4, thelogo, symbol, or indicator 300 denoting an affiliation with an affinityawards program or watch-and-win program may be provided within a marquee310 that is provided on the display 14 of the remote control device 12when a particular channel is selected. As shown in FIG. 4, the marquee310 may include a channel indication, the network call lettersassociated with the channel, the title of the content running on thechannel, and a watch-and-win indicator 300. The marquee also may beprovided on the screen of an associated television set when, forexample, a digital cable television box switches from one channel toanother.

Finally, in still another innovative aspect, the present invention isdirected to the use of “forced” or “direct” tuning methodologies withintelevision advertising or program distribution systems. Direct tuninginvolves transmitting specific channel select signals to a broadcast,cable or satellite television tuning box in response to all channelselect inputs that may be entered into a remote control device by auser. For example, if a cable television tuning box is set to channel 4,and the user of a remote control unit employing a direct tuning protocolpushes the channel up button on the remote control device, the remotecontrol device will transmit a signal denoting “select channel 5” to thecable television tuning box rather than transmitting a “channel up”signal. This allows for a channel selection log to be readily compiledin response to viewer channel selection activity and, importantly,allows affinity awards programs and watch-and-win programs in accordancewith the present invention to accurately monitor viewer input sequencesto determine whether or not a selected viewer follows instructionsprovided within a given prompt or advertising message.

Preferably, the direct tuning capability is achieved through the use ofa program guide, an associated channel map, and a programming signaldatabase, often referred to in the art as an “R-byte” file or “IRcommand table,” that are downloaded to the remote control device 12. Theprogram guide and channel map function to show a viewer what programsare available on selected channels within predetermined timeslots, andthe programming signal database provides a link between the listedchannels and the signals that are used for their selection. For example,depending upon the system used, channel “4” corresponding to NBC may beselected by transmitting a “4” signal, a “04” signal, a “04 enter”signal, or an “enter 04” signal to an associated cable TV box. Timing ofthe transmissions also may vary depending upon the configuration of thereceiver or tuner with which the remote control device 12 operates. Itmay be noted that, where a remote control device 12 does not include adisplay 14, direct tuning may be effected using only a channel map and aprogramming signal database.

Preferably, a plurality of channel maps and programming signal databasesmay be downloaded to or stored within the memory of each remote controldevice 12, as the use of multiple databases allows a single remotecontrol device 12 to work with any of a number of cable, satellite, orother signal distribution systems, so long as the remote control device12 is properly configured at set-up. This also allow, for example, cablebroadcast networks to reassign channels without effecting hardwarereplacements, as any necessary changes may be reflected in the programguide and channel map for the relevant area.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific examples thereof have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to theparticular forms or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, theinvention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1. A method for selecting advertising content associated with televisionprogramming, said method comprising the steps of: receiving by aportable device a user input for a channel up or channel down commandfor viewing on an associated television set; determining a new channelselection based on the user input for the channel up or channel downcommand, a channel map stored on the portable device, and an indicationof a currently selected channel stored on the portable device; storingthe new channel selection within said portable device; sending a commandto the television set including a channel indicator for the new channelselection; using said stored new channel selection to select anadvertisement for depiction on a display provided on said portabledevice; and displaying the selected ad on the display.
 2. A portabledevice comprising: a display; a transmitter and receiver circuitry fortransmitting signals to an associated television monitor and receivingsignals from a program guide data transmission source; a microprocessor;an interface for receiving a user input for a channel up or channel downcommand for the television monitor; and a memory, said microprocessorcontrolling said display and said transmitter and receiver circuitry,and said memory having stored therein a program that, when executed bysaid microprocessor, allows for determining a new channel selectionbased on the user input for the channel up or channel down command, achannel map stored on the portable device, and an indication of acurrently selected channel stored on the portable device; sending acommand for the television monitor including a channel indicator for thenew channel selection; and advertising and promotional content to beselected for depiction on said display based upon a predeterminedrelationship between said advertising and promotional content and thenew channel selection.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein saidadvertising and promotional content comprises an advertisement promotingtelevision content on a channel other than a channel corresponding tosaid channel indicator.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein saidadvertising and promotional content comprises one or more questionscorresponding to television content on a channel corresponding to saidchannel indicator.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said advertisingand promotional content comprises an offer of an award for selecting ata predetermined time a channel other than a channel corresponding tosaid channel indicator.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein saidadvertising and promotional content comprises an offer of an award forselecting at a predetermined time a channel corresponding to saidchannel indicator.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored channelindication is associated with a program.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the stored channel indication is associated with a programplayed at a specific time.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the programis a television program.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the portabledevice is a remote control device.
 11. The method of claim 2, whereinthe channel indicator is associated with a select program at a selecttime.
 12. The method of claim 2, wherein the portable device is a remotecontrol device.